From Ash Wednesday through Resurrection Sunday, Shirley will focus on Jesus' last days on earth. Let's grasp the meaning of the resurrection, the greatest event in all human history!
By Shirley Mitchell
"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."
While my friend Wilma and I were talking the other day, she told me that she was preparing her heart for Resurrection Sunday through a devotion book. She said she had been thinking a lot about what drew people to Jesus. Before we could go any further, the church service started, and our conversation had to end. However, God would not let that go in me. He asked me to start preparing for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection and to meditate on the people's attraction to Jesus.
Jesus traveled from town to town preaching the good news. I imagine His arrival caused quite a racket. A crowd followed Him as He traveled throughout the region. He had captivated their attention. People stayed for days on a hillside to hear Him teach - forsaking their work and neglecting their need for food. Of course, they need not worry about a thing in the presence of Jesus. He provided a meal for thousands of them on two recorded occasions.
When He entered a new town, most people were probably going about their daily chores. Then someone may have shouted something like, "Jesus is coming. The Healer is on His way." "Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, everyone," or "The Prophet Jesus is here! He is here!" The people laid down their tools and set aside their cleaning to rush to hear His words and see Him.
He was a friend to any sinner; the nature of the sin, social position, race, or ethnicity didn't matter. He demonstrated this best when He met the Samaritan woman at the well and asked her for a drink of water. A Jewish man would never speak to a Samarian woman and make Himself unclean - especially if he knew what kind of woman she was. Jesus didn't point His finger at the town's scandalous woman. The Living Water filled the dark recesses of her soul and rescued her from bondage. She said to the people that she brought back to meet Him, "Come meet a man who told me everything that I have ever done." She was not just amazed that Jesus knew her before she met Him, but she was also amazed that He still treated her like she was valuable and worthy of meeting the Messiah.
People were also attracted to Jesus because He genuinely cared about them. Jesus showed compassion on the paralytic (Mark 1:40-45). The Greek word for compassion means that He was moved from deep inside of Him. He forgave him of his sins and made his crippled legs walk. In the funeral procession for a widow's son, Jesus saw him being carried out of the city gate. When He saw her, His heart went out to her, and He comforted her by saying, "Don't cry" (Luke 7:13). Then He raised her son from the dead.
Jesus also attracted some religious leaders who understood that He must be from God. When Nicodemus, a religious leader, came to Jesus by night, he said to Him in John 3:2-3 (The Message), " 'Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it.' Jesus said, 'You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to--to God's kingdom.' "
People were also magnetized to Jesus because of His teaching. Many times Scripture tells us that when Jesus finished teaching the crowds were amazed "because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law" (Matthew 7:29).
Above all His kindness, compassion, authority, knowledge, teaching, and power, the overwhelming reason why people were attracted to Jesus was that He was the answer to all of their needs. Whatever problems they brought Him, He could solve. Whatever issues that lay deep in their hearts that they may not be able to identify, He could see through the complexity of the layers and bring healing to their souls.
My friend, Jesus is still the answer today for whatever it is that is bothering you. For whatever miracle you need. For whatever stronghold you need torn down. For whatever sin you need forgiveness. For whatever fresh revelation of the Father you need, Jesus is the Answer! Hallelujah! Let's seek Him like those people sought Him and followed Him wherever He went as He traveled throughout the land. He is the ANSWER!
Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, You are compassionate and caring. It was not Your will to turn anyone away who had a physical ailment or who was already dead! You reached out to all, and You demonstrated Your authority to heal the sick, to forgive sins, and to teach with power. You removed shame, sorrow, and grief. The entire time You pointed the way to God and revealed the Father to us. You showed us the kingdom of God. We praise You for that!
You are still the answer today for any problem that any of us have. We bring You our troubles, our worries, and our ailments. We stand in awe of You like the crowds did and worship You. It's in Your Name, we pray. Amen.
By Shirley Mitchell
"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."
Matthew 4:23-25
While my friend Wilma and I were talking the other day, she told me that she was preparing her heart for Resurrection Sunday through a devotion book. She said she had been thinking a lot about what drew people to Jesus. Before we could go any further, the church service started, and our conversation had to end. However, God would not let that go in me. He asked me to start preparing for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection and to meditate on the people's attraction to Jesus.
Jesus traveled from town to town preaching the good news. I imagine His arrival caused quite a racket. A crowd followed Him as He traveled throughout the region. He had captivated their attention. People stayed for days on a hillside to hear Him teach - forsaking their work and neglecting their need for food. Of course, they need not worry about a thing in the presence of Jesus. He provided a meal for thousands of them on two recorded occasions.
When He entered a new town, most people were probably going about their daily chores. Then someone may have shouted something like, "Jesus is coming. The Healer is on His way." "Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, everyone," or "The Prophet Jesus is here! He is here!" The people laid down their tools and set aside their cleaning to rush to hear His words and see Him.
He was a friend to any sinner; the nature of the sin, social position, race, or ethnicity didn't matter. He demonstrated this best when He met the Samaritan woman at the well and asked her for a drink of water. A Jewish man would never speak to a Samarian woman and make Himself unclean - especially if he knew what kind of woman she was. Jesus didn't point His finger at the town's scandalous woman. The Living Water filled the dark recesses of her soul and rescued her from bondage. She said to the people that she brought back to meet Him, "Come meet a man who told me everything that I have ever done." She was not just amazed that Jesus knew her before she met Him, but she was also amazed that He still treated her like she was valuable and worthy of meeting the Messiah.
People were also attracted to Jesus because He genuinely cared about them. Jesus showed compassion on the paralytic (Mark 1:40-45). The Greek word for compassion means that He was moved from deep inside of Him. He forgave him of his sins and made his crippled legs walk. In the funeral procession for a widow's son, Jesus saw him being carried out of the city gate. When He saw her, His heart went out to her, and He comforted her by saying, "Don't cry" (Luke 7:13). Then He raised her son from the dead.
Jesus also attracted some religious leaders who understood that He must be from God. When Nicodemus, a religious leader, came to Jesus by night, he said to Him in John 3:2-3 (The Message), " 'Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it.' Jesus said, 'You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to--to God's kingdom.' "
People were also magnetized to Jesus because of His teaching. Many times Scripture tells us that when Jesus finished teaching the crowds were amazed "because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law" (Matthew 7:29).
Above all His kindness, compassion, authority, knowledge, teaching, and power, the overwhelming reason why people were attracted to Jesus was that He was the answer to all of their needs. Whatever problems they brought Him, He could solve. Whatever issues that lay deep in their hearts that they may not be able to identify, He could see through the complexity of the layers and bring healing to their souls.
My friend, Jesus is still the answer today for whatever it is that is bothering you. For whatever miracle you need. For whatever stronghold you need torn down. For whatever sin you need forgiveness. For whatever fresh revelation of the Father you need, Jesus is the Answer! Hallelujah! Let's seek Him like those people sought Him and followed Him wherever He went as He traveled throughout the land. He is the ANSWER!
Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, You are compassionate and caring. It was not Your will to turn anyone away who had a physical ailment or who was already dead! You reached out to all, and You demonstrated Your authority to heal the sick, to forgive sins, and to teach with power. You removed shame, sorrow, and grief. The entire time You pointed the way to God and revealed the Father to us. You showed us the kingdom of God. We praise You for that!
You are still the answer today for any problem that any of us have. We bring You our troubles, our worries, and our ailments. We stand in awe of You like the crowds did and worship You. It's in Your Name, we pray. Amen.
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